A pervert who sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl in her playhouse in her granny’s garden has been jailed for two years.

Her mother said the child still wakes up screaming after she was repeatedly attacked by Daniel Aylesbury, 20, from Redcar.

He was 17 when he began joining her and other children in the playhouse where they used to have picnics.

Prosecutor Christine Egerton told Teesside Crown Court the sexual abuse went on for 13 months until the youngster revealed it to her father as he was getting her ready for school.

Miss Egerton said: “She said it had happened lots of times, and she used numbers like 90 times or 80- times.

“When he was arrested and interviewed he denied that he had sexually assaulted her.”

Miss Egerton read out a victim’s statement made by the mother of the child, who is now seven, which said: “It has already been very traumatic for her.

“She can’t go round and play with the friends like she used to do .

“She is being punished for something when she has done no wrong.

“She has to sleep with me and her father, and she wakes up screaming.”

Aylesbury continued to deny his guilt until last month on the second date fixed for his trial when the girl was being called as a witness.

The mother continued: “In April after she had been shown the court it dawned on her how big this was, and she was sobbing.

“It was so hard to make her understand that her mam and dad could not be with her. He has dragged a little girl through the trauma and stress over the past two years.

“It’s caused issues between me and my husband because of the stress of the whole situation.”

The mother added: “He took away the innocence of my little girl, but then he denied it afterwards putting us all through the trauma of a trial.

“She could need years of support and counselling in the future. My main aim now is to ensure that other children are protected from him.”

Miss Egerton said that essentially there was grooming because he was helping her to enjoy the playhouse.

Yvonne Taylor, defending Aylesbury, claimed he was not sexually motivated, but he offered no explanation whatsoever.

She said a pre-sentence report recommended a sentence of suspended custody with requirements, without undermining the effect his behaviour had on the girl and her family.

She said Aylesbury’s parents were in court and that he was desperate for help.

She added: “He cannot understand why he has behaved in this way.”

The judge told Aylesbury his abuse had a devastating effect on the family and it had left considerable upset which would take a long time to heal, if ever.

Judge Tony Briggs said: “An unfortunate feature of this case is that it has taken a long time to resolve, not always due to you.

“The suggested starting point (for sentence) is one of four years, but in the unusual circumstances of this case the starting point is one of three years.

“It seems to me that your mental state and capacity is of some relevance.”

Aylesbury, of Turner Street, Redcar, was sentenced to two years detention and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to register as a Sex Offender for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to two specimen offences of sexual assault on a child under 13 between May 31 2013 and July 11 2014.